Improvement in rotary steam-engines



H. BU ETTG H ER Vnt-ary Steam-Engies.

Patented Aug. 18,1874.

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BOETTCHER, OF BUNKER HILL, ILLINOIS.

`IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,118, datedAugust`18, 1874; application filed April 1,1874.

- .steam-,chamber has diametrically-positioned piston-heads, whichareconnected to peculiar cam-plates, and operated'by motions impartedfrom same. The actionV of steam upon one piston-head when completed ispassed intoV the opposite steam-chamber, and again ntilized to performthe same action upon the remaining piston. Thus the steam acts upontwoopposite piston-heads uninterruptedly and at the same time, but thesteam for the lirst piston-head is from the boiler, the steam forthether piston being the same steam before use Of the drawings, Figure Iis a side elevation of the engine with parts broken away, showing detailconstructive features. Fig. 2 is also a side elevation from the oppositeside of enginewith parts broken away to show detail features. Fig. 3 isa plan section at line m zo,

4 Figs. 4 and 5 being respective detail views of connections to operatethe pistons.

A is the steam-cylinder. The steam-cylinder A I provide with two annularsteam-chambers, a al, divided by a center wall, a2. (See Fig. 3.) Eachof the steam-chambers a al is slotted to allow for the operation of twopislton-heads in each chamber, B B being the pistons for the chamber a,and G C' being the pistons for the chamber al. Thus there are four (4)piston-heads in all used, and these I position diametrically in theirrespective chambers, as shownin Fig. 3. The pistons B B C C are to beoperated at proper times to close their respective chambers, and beacted upon by the power of steam, and also to open said steam-chambersto allow the eX- haust of steam. I therefore connect the piston-heads BB by their stems b b1 to a crossbar, b2 b3. The inner end of eachcross-bar b2 b3 passes through a vertical slot provided in abearing-plate, D, which is secured to the shaft of the cylinder. (SeeFig. 3.) Further, the inner` ends of cross-bars b2 b3 are connected toone end of an arm, b4, the other end thereof being pivoted to the end ofan arm, b5, which is pivoted to said bearing-plate D, as shown in Figs.3 and 5. The outer end of each crossbar b2 b3 of pistons B B issimilarly connected-that is, to engage a vertical slotin abearing-plate, D', which is secured to one side of cylinder A. (SeeFigs. 3 and 4.) Also, the outer end of cross-bars b2 b3 is connected toone end of an arm, c, the other end thereof being pivoted to the end ofan arm, c1, which is pivoted to the outer bearing-plate D', as shown inFigs. 3 and 4. Each of the pivoted arms o1 has a crank-pin, o2, engaginga camplate, E. The cam-plate E I provide with a cam-slot, e, of theconstructive shape shown in Fig. l, the design thereof being to operatethe piston-heads B B to enter and close their steam-chambers a, and beacted upon by the pressure of steam, and also to withdraw from and opensaid steam-chamber to permit a free passage of the steam from saidchamber into the opposite chamber, as well as to exhaust the steam. Thecam-plate E is properly secured along one side of the cylinder A by itsbranch arms e', bolted to the frame that supports the engine. Theopposite pistonheads C C', by their stems d, connect to a vibratinglever, d1, pivoted to a standard, d2, which. has its bearings near endof shaft of engine. (See Fig. 3.) The outer ends of the levers d1 formcrank-pins to engage a cam-plate, F. The cam-plate F I form to have thecam-slot fof the constructive shape shown in Fig. 2, so' as to impart tothe piston-heads O G the same action at required times to open and closethe steam-chamber a1, so as to be acted upon by the steam and exhaustsame, similar to the operation performed by the piston-heads ,B Baforesaid. The cam-plate Fis on the opposite side of the cylinder A tothat of E, and is also properly secured to the frame by its branch armsf. (See Fig. 2.)

The combined operation of the piston-heads B B G C thus connected to thecam-plates E and F is therefore such that two (2) opposite pistons, sayB and C', will be simultaneously actuated to raise or close theirrespective steam-chambers preparatory to being acted der A, with acommunicating port, g2.

upon by steam-pressure, whileA the remaining Atwo pistons, B and C, willbe in reeeded position and inactive, and vice versa, viz., when thelatter are acted upon by the steam the former are inactive. In order,therefore, to utilize the same steam, so that it can act upon twooppositely-positioned pistons, as aforesaid, I provide the Wall a? (thatdivides the steam-chambers) with the cored communicating ports g g1,also oppositely positioned. (See Fig. l.) Also, I provide the steam-drumor housing G, that incloses the top of the cylin- (See Figs. l and 2.)

When either of the ports g g1 are brought in line with the port g? ofthe steam-drum, the communication is established, and the steam that hasbeen used in the rst steam-chamber, a, is permitted to pass into theopposite steamchamber, al. Thus the steam that has completed its actionupon one piston head is passed over, to again act upon the oppositepiston, and, having performed its action upon both said piston-heads, islinally permitted to exhaust.

H H are stationary heads that pass through the steam-drum G, and closethe steam-chambers t al, dividing them into separate chambers for eachset of pistons. h is the inlet for steam. Opposite thereto is theexhaust h1, 'for the steam-chamber a.. h2 is the exhaust for thesteam-chamber el. (See Fig. 2.) h3 are cored ports in the steam-drum G,so as to permit Vthe lsteam to rise above the piston-heads, and in doingso relieve side pressure of steam from said pistons, and otherwisefacilitate their action to recede or withdraw from their chambers, aswell as ease the operation of pistonconnections to cam-plates.

The ports h3 in steam-drum are for the purpose of permitting the steamto pass over the pistons, (when the same are in the act of going down,)the little steam that thus passes in the ports h3 of course in thatdegree relieves the steam-pressure from the sides of the piston. Thesteam pressing powerfully the sides of the pistons renders the samedifficult of operating down, or to be Withdrawn; hence, by relievingthis side steam-pressure and permitting part ofthe steam to rise to thetop of pistons in ports h3, there is steam-pressure at the top ofpistons as a result, and this facilitates the downward action of thepistons, and necessarily does not make it so difficult for lever and camconnections to operate the pistons.4 The ports g g1 gz are communicatingports, those of g g1 being oppositely positioned and cased in the walla2, that divides the cylinderchamber. When the port g2 gets in line witheither of the ports g g1, then steam from the iirst chamber passes intothe opposite chamber. Thus, while steam is acting upon the pistontop ofchamber a, it pushes that piston along until it is below in the act ofreceding. The same steam that has then acted to pass the piston or itscylinder half -round passes ofi' into the port g through the port g2.Thus the irst steam is again obliged, in the second steam-chamber, tooperate upon a piston that is ready to operate when the piston thatleaves off the steam to pass over to it has withdrawn itself.

l. The described engine, provided with chambers a al, having ports g 91relatively arranged so that connection is made between the chambers, topermit the exhaust of one to be used in the other, as described.

2. The combination of the pistons B B C C', cross-bars b2 b3, arms b4b5, bearing-plate D, arms c c1, bearing-plate D', and;y cam-plates E F,all constructed to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the steam-drum G, having ports g2 h3, heads H H',steam-cylinder A, its annular chambers a al andv ports g g, v

HENRY BOETTCHER.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM W. HERTHEL, CHAs. F. MErsNER. l

